Spring shaft-coupling.



No. 700,773. Patented May 27., I902. G. C. HICKS, JR. SPRING SHAFTCOUPLING.

(Application flle'd Mar. 10, 1902.)

(No Model.)

Witnesses:

v V g i l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE C. HICKS, JR, OF CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA.

SPRING SHAFT-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 00,77 3, dated May27, 1902.

Application filed March 10, 1902.

To all whont it may concern/p Beit known that I, GEORGE (J. HICKS, J12,a citizen of the United States, residing at Connersville, Fayettecounty, Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSpring shaft Oouplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention, pertaining toimprovements in spring-couplings for rotaryshafts, will be readily understood from the following description, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aface elevation of my improved coupling, a part of one of the flangesbeing broken away to expose the connecting mechanism between theflanges; and Fig. 2, a vertical transverse section of the same. In Fig.1 the View is as of from the right in Fig. 2, and in Fig. 2 the view isas of from the left of Fig. 1.

' In the drawings, 1 indicates a flange adapted to be secured to one ofthe pair of shafts to be coupled; 2, a flange adapted to be secured tothe other shaft of the pair, the inner faces of the two flanges standingat some distance apart; 3, a circular series of studs secured in flange1, concentric to its center and projecting toward the other flange, theexemplification providing for five of these studs; 4, brackets securedto the face of flange 1 and engaging the free extremities of studs 3 andserving to stiffen those studs; 5, a series of studs projecting from theface of flange 2 toward the other flange, these studs 5 corresponding innumber with the studs 3 and being disposed at substantially the sameradial distance from the axis of the coupling as studs 3, studs 5therefore alternating with studs 3 in a conjoint series; 6, toggles withmembers of unequal length arranged in circular series and having one oftheir ends ongaging studs 3 and their other ends engagingstuds 5, thetoggles flexing inwardly, so that their intermediate pivots lie withinthe circle of studs 3 and 5; 7, a bail mounted upon the intermediatepivot of each of the toggles andprojecting inwardlytherefrom; 8,acircular series of studs fixed in the face of one of the flanges andprojecting toward the other flange, these studsbeing, equal innumber-tothe toggles and being arranged upon a much smaller circle than studs 3and 5, the illustra Serial No. 97,525. (Nomodeld tion showing thesestuds Sas-being mounted in flange 1; 9, a series of, helical springs,one for each toggle, the outer ends of these springs being connectedwith the'intermediate pivots of the toggles through themedium of bails7" and the inner ends of the springs being attached to the studs 8, thesprings acting tensionally and tending to urge the toggles to greaterflexure, and 10 adjustingscrews engaging the studs 8 and the inner headsof the springs and serving as means by which the tension of the springsmay be altered or equalized.

Assume the. device to be in the position indicated in Fig. 1 and in astate of rest and practically free from strain and assume that flange 1represents the driving member of the pair and that the coupling is toturn in the direction of the arrow. If now flange 1 be started intomotion in the direction of the arrow, the first efiect of its angularmotion relative to flange 2 is to tend to straighten the toggles andcause them to act as direct-tension elements, tending to pull forward onstuds 5 and urge flange 2 to accompany flange 1 in its angular motion;but springs 9 elastically resist'this straightening of the toggles, andthe consequence is that when the springs have by the straighteningmotion of the toggles been put under sufficient tension the resistanceof the toggles to further straightening exceeds the resistance of'flange2 to motion, and consequently flange 2 takes up angular motion andaccompanies flange 1, the forward motion of flange lexerting itself uponflange 2 through the-mediun'rof studs 5 and upon the springs. If the.resistance of driven flange 2 preponderates over the resistance ofieredby the springs,"then the springs will yield and the toggles willstraighten still further and studs 3 will increase their angularadvanceover 'studs 5, and'the motion of flange 2 relative to that of iflangelwill. be retarded. Again, ifthe effect of the springs preponderates overthe resistance of the driven flange the toggles will become furtherflexed,and flange is thus an elastic one." "'lhe'greater the drivingpower transmitted the straighter will become the toggles and the greaterwill become the tension of the springs, the action of the togglesmodifying the normal action of the springs, so that the increase in theeffect of the springs as the power transmitted increases is greater thanthat due to the arithmetical law applicable to springs under strain. Ifflange 2 be employed as the driving member of the pair, then the motionshould be in the direction opposite to that of the arrow. \There may beas many of the toggles and their appurtenances as the given situation isjudged to call for, it being manifest that the greater the number of thetoggles the lighter may be their structural elements, the work oftransmission being divided between them, and,'if desired, all but onemay be dispensed with in case of light transmissions. The flanges may beflanges in fact, with complete webs, or they may find their fullequivalents in such functional portions as are necessary to carry thestuds of the system.

I claim as my invention 1. In a spring-couplingfor shafts, thecombination, substantially as set forth, of a driven and a drivingmember arranged for angular motion upon a common axis, a flexed togglehaving one of its extremities connected with one of said members and itsother extremity with the other member and serving as the means by whichangular motion is transmitted from the driving to the driven member, anda spring connected with said toggle and serving to elastically resistthe change of flexure of the toggle under the influence of the drivingstrain. I

2. In a spring-coupling for shafts, the combination, substantially asset forth, of a driving and a driven flange, a stud projecting from thedriving-flange toward the driven flange, a stud projecting from thedriven flange toward the driving-flange, a normally flexed togglehavingits extremites pivoted at said studs, and a spring connected withsaid toggle and serving to elastically resist the change of flexure ofthe toggle under the influence of the driving strain.

3. In a spring-coupling for shafts, the combination, substantially asset forth, of a driving and a driven flange, a stud projecting from thedriving-flange toward the driven flange, a stud projecting from thedriven flange toward the driving-flange, a normally flexed toggle havingits extremities pivoted at said studs, and a helical spring having oneof its ends attached to the intermediate pivot of the toggle and havingits other end attached to one of said flanges, said spring serving toelastically resist the change of flexure of the toggle under theinfluence of the driving strain.

4. In a spring-coupling for shafts, the combination, substantially asset forth, of a first flange, a second flange, a circular series ofstuds projecting from the first flange toward the second one, a circularseries of studs, alternating with the first-mentioned studs andprojecting from the second flange toward the first one, a series ofinwardly-flexed toggles disposed between said flanges and having theirforward extremities pivoted to studs of the first flange and theirrearward extremities pivoted to studs of the second flange, a thirdcircular series of studs carried by one of the flanges in a-circlewithin the series of toggles, and helical springs having their innerends attached to said third series of studs and having their outer endsconnected to the intermediate pivots of the toggles.

5. In aspring-coupling for shafts, the combination, substantially as setforth, of a first flange, a second flange, studs projecting from thefirst flange toward the second flange, brackets carried by the firstflange and engaging the outer projections of said studs, studs carriedby the second flange and projecting toward the first flange,inwardlyflexed toggles with one of their extremities pivoted to saidlast mentioned studs and their other extremities pivoted to thefirstmentioned studs between the first flange and the brackets, inneradditional studs carried by one of said flanges, and helical springshaving their inner ends connected with said inner studs and having theirouter ends connected with the intermediate pivots of said toggles.

6. In a spring-coupling for shafts, the combination, substantially asset forth, of a first flange, a second flange, studs projecting from thefirst flange toward the second flange, studs projecting from the secondflange toward the first flange, inwardly-flexed toggles having membersofunequal length and having one of their extremities attached to thefirstmentioned studs and their other extremities attached to thelast-mentioned studs, inner studs carried by one of said flanges, andhelical springs having their inner ends attached to said inner studsand' having their outer ends attached to intermediate pivots of saidtoggles.

GEORGE O. HICKS, J R.

Witnesses:

W. W. WAINWRIGHT, G. O. WISNER.

